Label or the like with captive coupon



May 6, 1947. R. s. KRUG LABEL OR THE LIKE WITH CAPTIVE COUPON Filed Jan. 29 1944 RICH/1RD 5. KRUG.

INVENTQR.

Patented May 6, 1947 LABEL OR THE LIKE WITH CAPTIVE COUPON Richard S. Krug, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Carthage Mills, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 29, 1944, Serial No. 520,372

3 Claims. (Cl. 402) In the merchandising of various kinds of commodities, it is frequently desired to furnish to the purchaser with the goods a coupon, ticket, mailing card or the like. In many instances it is not practicable or desirable to enclose the coupon within the package, for this means that the. coupon does not become available. to the purchaser until he opens the package. On the other hand, to attach the coupon loosely to the outside of the package invites accidental loss, deliberate theft, or destruction of the coupon during shipment and storage.

My invention is addressed to these problems, and has as a broad object the provision of a label or wrapping for goods which has, as a feature, a coupon affixed to the outside of the package, well protected against accidental loss and defacement, readily removable when removal is done deliberately, but acting to deface the wrapping or label when removed so that its removal or loss is immediately apparent. It is an object of my invention to attain the foregoing advantages in a label or wrapping of low initial cost and in a process of application which is simple and inexpensive so that the employment of the invention entails insignificant added cost. It is also an object of the invention to provide a captive coupon, ticket or the like which, while legible on one side, is protected on the other not only from being read by unauthorized persons, but is protected from dirt, fading, and defacement incident to transportation and storage so that its ultimate legibility is preserved.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish in that construction and arrangement of parts and in that procedure of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. This embodiment is a label with a captive coupon, and a mode of forming and attaching it. Reference is made to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of the face of the exemplary label and coupon.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the rear thereof showing the application of adhesive.

Figure 3 shows the tab member folded over onto the back of the label.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing my structure attached to an exemplary package of merchandise.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the exemplary embodiment, I provide a label 55 the inventio Havin l which, at one edge bears a tab or appendage 2. The label proper may bear any desired label indicia 3; but a portion of its surface opposite the tab 2 and of equal area with the tab may, if desired, bear coupon indicia 4. In any event, it will be usual to indicate on the face of the label that it embodies a coupon and to print thereon lines 6 to be used as a guide in cutting the label for the removal of the coupon. Instead of or in addition to such lines, I may provide the label with perforated or weakened lines to facilitate removal of the label without cutting. The tab 2 is printed or otherwise marked with any desired coupon indicia, diagrammatically illustrated at 1.

The described structure is made of paper or any suitable flexible sheet material. It is to be noted that, if printed, it need be printed on one side only. The tab 2 may be demarked from the body I by a score line or line of weakening 8, but this is not ordinarily necessary unless the sheet material is heavy.

In using the structure, the entire back or rear surface is first covered by adhesive as at 9 in Figure 2.

Next, the tab 2 is folded over against the back of the label as shown in Figure 3. One result of this operation is to form a coupon, ticket or the like as part of the label. This coupon is of double thickness, Wherefore it not only becomes easier to remove, but easier to handle when removed, and in many instances stiff enough to be used as a mailing card, or a card index card. Another result is the provision (from a structure printed on one side only) of a coupon printed on both sides. Yet another result is the provision of a label structure embodying a coupon, the rear face of the label being coated with adhesive, but the rear face of the coupon being uncoated.

Next, and prior to the setting of the adhesive 9, the structure is applied to the desired goods, as at Ill, in Figure 4. As shown in section in Figure 5, where the adhesive is represented at I I, the coupon portion will not be attached to the goods Ill directly, and can therefore readily be removed by severing the label along the lines 6. But the label is firmly attached to the goods and surrounds the coupon on three sides, thus holding it captive. The underside of the coupon is protected as indicated above, and the coupon itself is protected from accidental removal. The deliberate removal of the coupon defaces the label, as will be clear.

Modifications may be made in my exemplary embodiment without departing from the spirit of" thus described one form 3 of the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the class described, a body of flexible sheet material bearing indicia, said body having an integral tab also bearing indicia on the same side extending from one of its edges a da le alon a line forming a continuation of said edge to a position lying against the rear of said body, so that, the entire rear face of the structure being treated with adhesive, the tab can be folded against the body as recited, and caused to adhere thereto to provide a double thickness portion, and the body can then be adhesively secured to a support, with the double thickness portion free of adhesion thereto.

2. A label or the like for attachment to a support, comprising a flexible body with an integral projection at one side of lesser area than the body, a face of said body and projection being covered with adhesive, the said projection lying in folded backcondition so as tocover a-portion .of the adhesive on the coated face of the body, so that when said structure is aifixed to said sup- ..port by means of said adhesive, it will be adhered over an area of said body save for a portion covered by said folded back tab, said tab being removable from said support as a double thickness structure by severing said body along lines sub- 4 stantially demarking the outline of the folded back tab portion.

3. A process of preparing and ailixing a label with a captive coupon or the like which comprises providing a body of flexible sheet material, said body having at one edge a projecting tab, coating the entire reverse face of the body and tab with adhesive, folding the tab over against the coated face of the body, and thereafter attaching said body to a support by means of said adhesive.

. RICHARD S. KRUG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

